Latest reviews

Brendan reviewed: Lucy Churchill's Stone Carving Workshops

"What a wonderful three days. Lucy is a fabulous host, great listener, tutor and source of inspiration. She understood exactly what I wanted to achieve and guided me through every stage. Her methodical approach, instruction and encouragement has given me great confidence. If you are a complete beginner wondering ‘should I… shouldn’t I?’ then you should, you will not be disappointed! The small group of three really lends itself to learning and provides a great opportunity for conversation and laughter. Hearing the experiences and thoughts of other students was also an important part of the learning experience. Plenty of cakes, biscuits, tea and coffee to keep us going! Thank you Lucy and thanks to the other students. "

JC reviewed: Crafty Basketry's Willow Basket Making for Beginners/Improvers - Day Course at Cowshed Workshop, Tenterden, Kent

"I went with my sister to the course as an absolute beginner and thoroughly enjoyed the day. Marieanne was a very patient and helpful instructor and I am very pleased and proud of my first basket! I definitely recommend it 😊"

Crafty Basketry responded:

"Thank you so much for your 5-star review, JC! It was so nice to teach you naturals and what a delight to see the result of your baskets. I hope you found it relaxing and a nice change to your usual lives at MI5. ;) I trust you'll have fun, using your new found basketry skills in the garden, applying what you've learned in different ways. All the best for now."

Naomi Betts reviewed: Seaglass jewellery workshop at Sea & Solder, Dorset.

"A fabulous class. Small group of only 4 students means you get lots of support from Jules who is an excellent teacher. I came away with a beautiful pendant that reminds me of a beautiful beach day with my mum & daughter, and I made it!!!"

Pete reviewed: Woodwork Day Course

"Thanks for a brilliant day Ted. Thoroughly enjoyable and so informative, I’ve left with so much confidence to continue with my efforts at home, hopefully managing a 10/10 joint! I’ll certainly be coming back for the 4 day course. Cheers Pete"

Teds Woodworking/ instrument making Courses responded:

"Thank you Pete, It was a good day indeed and I hope it helps your woodworking journey my friend. I'm sure you have good hand skills and with practice you will come on leaps and bounds. See you on that 4 day course soon , you know where I am. Kind regards Ted"

Adrian reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"Amazing course. Gavin and Tom were always patient and knowledgeable. They passed on so many useful skills over the weekend and spured everyone's confidence. Definitely get a buzz from exceeding your own expectations and walking away with a beautiful and fully functional Longbow!"

Sherry Knight reviewed: 1-2-1 digital photography for beginners in Oxfordshire

"Aimee was brilliant; patient & tailored the day to the type of photography I liked. We got on like a house on fire & I didn't hesitate to ask all my basic (& repetative) questions! I also went to places in Oxford I never knew existed! Highly recommend. "

Ruth Gray reviewed: Crafty Basketry's Willow Basket Making for Beginners/Improvers - Day Course at Cowshed Workshop, Tenterden, Kent

"Thank you for a wonderful weekend weaving. Marianne is so knowledgeable and helpful. I came away with a lovely basket and plenty of ideas for more projects. Marianne also taught my daughter (12) to weave a lovely rattan basket which she is super proud of! "

Crafty Basketry responded:

"Thank you for your wonderful review! It was such a huge pleasure to teach you and your daughter. So amazing, to meet someone who is just as enthusiastic about basket making as I am! Enjoy your new basketry skills, Ruth, and I'll look forward to seeing you both back soon, stepping it up to the next level. "

Luke Lewis reviewed: Welding For Beginners

"Was made very clear and easy to understand, can't recommend enough!"

Liz Dixon reviewed: Woodcarving Tuition in Cornwall

"Excellent workshop. Zoe was a great teacher, explaining how to use each of the tools, with a chance to practice technique on a scrap bit of wood before working on the main design. Also learnt about how to carve the wood depending on the grain, adding detailing & finishing with some beeswax. Really pleased with my finished piece."

Zoe Gertner Woodcarvings responded:

"Thank you, Liz, it was a very enjoyable day."

JAMAS reviewed: Archive, DO NOT LIST

"What an amazing day, bought this as a gift fir husband and son and they had a great time. Alex is a genuinely nice person, highly skilled and knowledgeable. Will be back to make horseshoe fish."

Nicola Woods reviewed: Full Day Mosaic For Outdoors on slate with Laura Barnes.

"I booked the full-day mosaic class for my birthday with Laura at the last minute. I enjoyed the day to myself, being creative. With Laura's patience and expertise, I ended up creating something I'm so proud of and excited to hang outside. I found the whole day relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable. I would recommend Laura's classes in a heartbeat and look forward to the next time I can go. Thanks again Laura. :)"

Laura Barnes Crafty Fox Studios responded:

"Hi Nicola, how nice to hear from you! It was a really good day and I am so glad you enjoyed it. Do come again any time you can get a free day and fancy more crafting. Would be lovely to teach you again. Thank you for your review! Laura. "

Claire Hepworth reviewed: Box making weekend in Cumbria

"Brilliant! I just loved this class. Mark was very knowledgeable and patient (which was a good job!). It was really interesting to learn new techniques and machinery. I would highly recommend Mark and this class to anyone."

Lizzie Colley reviewed: Ecoprinting- exploring the magic and alchemy 1:1 workshop

"A fantastic day exploring the magic of eco printing & some detailed methods of book binding. Fiona was extremely knowledgable & helpful & it was such a lovely day full of creativity & wonder! I recommend thoroughly to anyone with a love of plants and/or arts & crafts!"

Helen Stafford reviewed: Wirework Rings Workshop with Hand Crafted Jewellery by Jo

"Excellent workshop. Jo is a very patient teacher. Really pleased with the rings that I made. A very enjoyable couple of hours. Thank you Jo."

Handcrafted Jewellery by Jo responded:

"Thank you! Pleased you enjoyed yourself. See you on another workshop soon"

Maria Shepherd reviewed: Quilting and Quilt As You Go

"I found the day with Jen perfect for my needs as someone just beginning to make simple quilits and wanting to improve my knowledge and experience. All questions were answered clearly and helpfully, the environment was really pleasant and the pace just right. I would have no hesitation in recommending Jen as a teacher she is so experienced and knowledgable. "

Sew Forest of Dean responded:

"Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely review Maria. It was a pleasure spending the day with you and I'm glad you enjoyed your time in the studio. Good luck with all your quilting projects, I hope to see you again in the future. Happy stitching! Jen "

Hollie x reviewed: Pottery Workshop: Make a Japanese Kurinuki Cup

"Great experience, would recommend to anyone that has an artistic side and wants to try something new, cannot wait to see the finish products (once fired and glazed). Lucy is a great teacher and would love to learn more from her! p.s... Cakes were delicious "

Pat Swinborne reviewed: Introduction to Lino Printing in Cambridgeshire

"What a fabulous, enjoyable day with a very knowledgeable and patient tutor. Everything was highly organised, plenty of choice of inks, papers and equipment for the lino cutting workshop. A very inspirational experience. "

print paper stitch experiences responded:

"Thank you Pat, it was lovely to spend the day with you and Jane. You both created the most beautiful, experimental prints! "

Sarah Y reviewed: Needle felt workshop

"I recently did this workshop with my two grown up daughters and my daughter in law. It was such a fun morning making woodland animals. Yvonne was very good at guiding us as none of us had ever done needle felting before. We were all pleased with the cute little animal that we came away with. Yvonne has a lovely crafting space with plenty of room, and she is very experienced and knowledgable in her field. She was kind enough to provide drinks and cake as well. An altogether lovely morning! "

Needle Felt Art responded:

"Sarah, it was a pleasure to host your birthday workshop, for such lovely ladies, you all did so well, felting like pros not beginners. Your animals were so cute and characterful. I am so pleased you enjoyed the workshop, be great to felt with you again. Yvonne. "

A Marriott reviewed: The Very Versatile Trug

"I can’t rate this course highly enough. I now have a fabulous trug for the greenhouse. The course is excellent, Nikki and her husband are so enthusiastic and knowledgeable. True ‘crafts people’. Highly recommend. I expect we will go back and make something else. This was our second visit. "

Richard Evans reviewed: Full Day Silversmithing 10-4pm

"A really enjoyable fantastic day! Learnt a lot and as a bonus was able to make a love piece of jewellery! Would highly recommend to anyone of any age! Thank you"

Larkswold responded:

"Thanks Richard, Hope you enjoyed the rest of your weekend seeing your family. Melinda"

Robert Lonsdale reviewed: 2 Day Axe Making Course

"What an extraordinary couple of days. Probably the most rewarding course I've ever done. You are guided through the entire process of making an axe - from start to finish. First watching your tutor, and then following their demonstration with your own piece of metal. This is so ordinary course, it's hard but really exhilarating work and I left feeling as though I completely understood the process. Elliott was a superb teacher and reckon. I now have a fantastic axe that I made myself - I've already put it to work and it's way better than my old B&Q axe - and best of all - I made it! "

IAStudios responded:

"Thanks You Rob, It was great to have you, Elliott and myself are so stocked that you enjoyed the course and got so much out of it. ps we have your hoodie and need an address to send it please. "

Jan F reviewed: Blacksmith Experience Day (4hrs)

"Blacksmithing is fascinating and great fun to do. Dan is a brilliant teacher. He's really knowledgeable and patient, and explains each step well. With his help, I came away with things that I never thought that I could make myself......I'm now hooked and have booked on more blacksmithing days with Dan."

IAStudios responded:

"Hi Jan, It's a pleasure to have meet you and I really enjoyed our course together. It's a great boon to work with students that get the bug. I look forward to seeing you again soon. "

Steven F reviewed: Archive, DO NOT LIST

"Attended this course with my son. We both learned so much. Alex is a true craftsman whose passion shone throughout the day and really made the day for us. Huge thanks and highly recommend."

Gilly reviewed: Beginners Knife Forging Day

"An incredible experience with Hound and Hammer. The forging day with Hound and Hammer was absolutely fantastic. James was brilliant with my 13-year-old son—he struck the perfect balance between instruction and letting him get hands-on, explore, and be creative. The day was packed with new skills and techniques that you simply don’t come across every day, keeping him fully engaged from start to finish. It was a mixed-age group, which added a great dynamic. Since my son was too young to attend alone, I stayed to observe and really enjoyed watching the group share ideas and support each other. It made the experience even richer. I would highly recommend a forging course to anyone looking to try something unique and rewarding. It made for a fantastic Christmas present, and my son has already asked when he can go again!"

Suki reviewed: Basket making for beginners using traditional willow basketry techniques

"My partner and I had a wonderful day making a basket. Becky and Johnny were both very knowledgeable and are excellent teachers. They were very welcoming and friendly. My partner and I have never done a craft like this before and we came out with two beautiful, sturdy baskets. They answered any and all questons and somehow mananged to work directly with me and with the five other people in the workshop! The lunch was also very beautiful. Could not recommend this course any more. "